Using constraints and production hacks to create consistent (and awesome) video

content for your admission office!

Chris Lavigne

@crlvideo

• Gear fear

• Nervous about looking stupid on camera

• Nervous about sounding stupid on camera

Video is scaryX

• Complicated equipment

• Need a film degree

• Everything is expensive

Video is hardX

• Why video?

• Concept & script

• Camera

• Studio

• It’s done! Now what?

What we’ll cover

Let’s get going!

Why video?

People care about people, not admissions.

Video shows that your school = people

Video helps you tell your story & build emotional connections.

You can do this!

Start small

Focus on your audience

Be human

Concept & Script

Don’t try to go viral. Try to go helpful.

Set constraints

Don’t try to make the admissions video on your front page.

Narrow your focus

• Video about your sports complex

• New chemistry lab

• A job-fair event recap

• Construction updates

Narrow your focus

• Answer a frequently asked question

• Thanks for visiting

• Eventually graduate (pun intended) to teacher & student vignettes

Show, don’t tell.

http://bit.ly/video-for-schools

Start with a script.

Do a table read.

Use the camera you already have

iPhone changed video forever.

$20 - Joby GripTight

GoPro will capture shots and tell stories no other camera can

Timelapse non-sequitur

Setup your video ‘studio’

A light about waist-high points at the background, creating contrast and eliminating shadows.

The subject looks into the lens, framed in the center of the shot.

The microphone is above and in front of the subject, just out of the shot.

A laptop showing the script is chest-high below the camera lens.

Two key lights are above the subject’s eye line about 3 feet apart.

An apple box makes it easier to see the camera LCD screen.

The camera sits behind the lights slightly pointing down at the subject.

Consider the background of your shot

Leave it setup!

http://bit.ly/conference-room-studio

Shooting & directing

Get in the director’s mindset

Keep it light. Keep it positive.

Get used to being critical.

Do it until you get it right. (your talent will thank you)

Get Looooose!

Real people have limits

Laptop teleprompter

SECRET WEAPON: Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourced Footage

• Football game - from the student perspective

• First day of school - from the student perspective

• Ask alumni for testimonials instead of donations

Crowdsourced Footage

• Create incentive to shoot

• Use dropbox or Wistia to collect files

It’s done! Now what?

Data tells you what viewers won’t.

Learn from data!

It’s ok if you mess up.

Differentiate yourself from peer schools with video

http://crlvideo.com/blackbaud

Questions?

@crlvideo